70 ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



were also colored red on our Adirondack map, indicating that they were 

 State lands, it seems proper to call attention here to the reasons for which 

 this property was stricken from the list The parties who regained pos- 

 session of these tracts are now carrying on lumber operations there, and 

 hence some timely explanation of the facts seems necessary in view of 

 certain articles that have appeared lately in the public press. 



Forest Prodact of New *Iorlj 



A large part of the office work in the Forestry Department each year 

 is devoted to the collection and compilation of statistics showing the amount 

 of timber that is cut during the previous year on private lands in the Adi- 

 rondack and Catskill forests. A complete list of all sawmills, pulpmills, 

 furniture factories, excelsior mills, and wood acid factories which obtain 

 their stock from these woodlands is kept in this office. Each firm or indi- 

 vidual sends annually a statement, taken from their books, showing the 

 amount of timber consumed during the previous year, each return being 

 made out on printed blanks furnished from this office. The thanks of 

 the Department are due to the various mill owners for their uniform 

 courtesy in making out these reports and for their cooperation in obtain- 

 ing information so necessary to a knowledge of the forest resources of 

 the State. 



I submit here the figures for the output of 1904. The returns for 

 1905 will not be received until after the close of the year, and not in time 

 for this report. 



The total amount of timber cut for all purposes in 1904, as compiled 

 from the returns, amounted in the aggregate to 789,215,523 feet, board 

 measure. It is a significant fact that this production exceeds the entire 

 Canadian import — that is, it is greater than the shipments of lumber from 

 all British America into the United States. In view of the prominence 

 given to this import in tariff discussions the figures given here are entitled 

 to thoughtful consideration. Furthermore, the statistics submitted do not 

 include the mills in the State outside the Adirondack and Catskill counties. 

 Arrangements have been made to secure hereafter returns from these mills 

 also. 



